SCOTLAND’S "unofficial diplomat" has welcomed a major win for a key climate fund at COP28.
Major players at the climate summit have backed a loss and damage fund – pioneered by Scotland – with the United Arab Emirates and Germany pledging $100 million each towards helping the world’s most vulnerable countries suffering the ruinous effects of global warming.
Speaking to The National from Dubai, the SNP’s international engagement ambassador Chris Law said “what had been started in Scotland” at the COP26 event in Glasgow was “now being acted upon by the world”.
We previously told how Law, who is attending the summit in the UAE, has been using his party role to circumvent the restrictions put upon the Scottish Government’s External Affairs Secretary by the Foreign Office.
Law said: “Very welcome news that finally real progress is being made on the loss and damage fund from across the EU and elsewhere.
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“What started as a world first in Scotland two years ago is now being acted upon by the world and will significantly help those most vulnerable to the extremes of climate change that cannot be reached through adaptation and mitigation alone.
“Let’s hope that more progress is made in the coming days and further commitments to meeting our urgent targets to keep below the 1.5 degrees the planet needs to avoid the worst of climate catastrophes.”
A deal struck by countries including the UK, the US, Japan and the EU is worth close to $429m, The Guardian reported.
First Minister Humza Yousaf also attended the conference and made a speech introducing former US vice president and climate activist Al Gore.
In it, he said he was “delighted” the loss and damage deal was made but warned more countries must step up.
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He said: “Scotland is a country that benefited from industrialisation for decades, it’s important that we and other countries in the global north make sure that we are, in a just manner of course, make sure that we repair that damage.”
He added: “I was very proud that Scotland became the first country in the global north to commit funding to loss and damage, and a couple of years on not only have we committed more funding, we’ve mobilised it, allocated it and managed to get some out of the door,” he said.
At the Glasgow summit, then first minister Nicola Sturgeon pledged £2 million, which was increased by £5 million the following year.
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